EU Warns About Huawei's Contract with Interior to Manage SITEL Wiretap Data
The European Commission has expressed concern over the agreement signed by the Spanish Ministry of the Interior with the Chinese company Huawei. The contract involves the technology company managing and storing sensitive information from the judicial wiretapping system SITEL, which Brussels says could create a dangerous dependency. 🚨
An Official Stance from Brussels
Henna Virkkunen, Vice-President of the Commission for Technological Sovereignty, detailed this warning in response to a query from a Member of the European Parliament. Virkkunen recalled that the European Union had already determined in 2023 that both Huawei and ZTE pose higher risks than other 5G network providers. For this reason, EU institutions recommended limiting their presence in infrastructures considered critical for security.
Key Points of the European Warning:- The Spanish contract with Huawei could generate a strategic dependency on a provider classified as high-risk.
- The EU already has a clear position on the greater risks associated with Huawei and ZTE in the deployment of 5G networks.
- The current recommendation is to restrict the use of these providers in essential systems and infrastructures.
The stated objective is to avoid critical dependencies that could compromise security or facilitate foreign interference.
Focus on the Supply Chain and Sensitive Data
The European Commission has not announced direct sanctions against Spain for this specific agreement. However, Virkkunen indicated that the body will examine in detail how to secure information technology supply chains. This analysis will be integrated into the next review of the EU's cybersecurity regulation. The Spanish case stands out due to the nature of the information handled by the SITEL system: wiretap data authorized by a judge, material considered of maximum sensitivity.
Specific Risks Identified:- Access to sensitive judicial information: Huawei could process and store data derived from telephone interceptions.
- Foreign Legal Framework: There is a potential risk that a provider, subject to the laws of its country of origin, could access this information.
- Geopolitical Concerns: The warning connects with concerns about cybersecurity and espionage that several Western governments have expressed regarding Chinese technology companies. 🔒
A Broader Debate on Sovereignty
This contract places Spain at the center of a broader European debate on technological sovereignty and how to manage sensitive data. Technology advances at great speed, but geopolitical and security considerations remain a determining factor. The EU's stance reflects a strategy to protect critical infrastructures and reduce dependencies considered strategically vulnerable. The message is clear: the management of judicial data requires exceptional security scrutiny. 🌍